β-cyclodextrins a polysaccharide in which seven glucose units are linked to each other to form a ring. The structure of β-cyclodextrin is similar to that of a donut, and the inside thereof is hydrophobic while the outside is hydrophilic. Because of these structural features, β-cyclodextrin is used to capture various hydrophobic materials. In particular, it is known that cholesterol is trapped inside of β-cyclodextrin, forming a complex. Cholesterol is ingested through foods, and excessive intake is known to lead to adult diseases. Accordingly, studies on effective removal of cholesterol in foods have been conducted.
However, according to studies and patents to date, cholesterol is entrapped in a β-cyclodextrin-containing assembly, forming a complex, and the β-cyclodextrin-cholesterol complex forms a precipitate due to dissolution properties, such as an increase in hydrophobicity, and then the complex is separated. In this case, complete separation of cholesterol and β-cyclodextrin is difficult, and some β-cyclodextrin-containing assemblies that do not capture cholesterol are not separated and remain intact in milk.
Therefore, the present inventors have made efforts to solve this incomplete separation problem, and as a result, have developed an industrially viable structure composed of β-cyclodextrin, a linker and a supporter.